Baby, Please Come Home
by Violetvixen17
Summary: Future Fic. Puck finds himself alone with his memories on Christmas Eve. ONE SHOT


AUTHORS NOTE: Hey all! this is just a little one shot that snuck into my brain tonight. Don't worry, I'm still working on the update to 'Tremble before the Lightning". But I thought this would be a nice little one shot to toss out for the holiday. Merry Christmas! ~Vix

Once he'd loved this day.

Puck sat in his apartment, staring out the glass doors at the falling snow. The snow littered the small balcony, piling up on the rails, and the street below was quickly beginning to look like a white paradise. Some of his neighbors below were having a party, he could hear the music filtering faintly through the floor. In the windows of the apartment building across the street he could see the lights of Christmas trees, brightly lit windows of other people's homes as they celebrated. His was the only dark window.

Puck sighed, sipping his beer as he just stared. He'd shut off the television long ago, and though his apartment was equipped with a fireplace, he couldn't bring himself to light it. Instead he huddled under a beat up old quilt on the sofa. The sun had just finished setting and the pretty snow scape outside quickly faded from his windows as the apartment darkened.

Once he'd loved Christmas.

Even though Puck was Jewish and celebrated Hanukkah as well, there was something magical about the secular celebration of Christmas. From the fresh smelling trees in everyone's living rooms, to the bright colored ornaments, the music, the presents, all of it spoke of hope and home, comfort and joy. Puck's mom had normally allowed them to have both a tree and menorah growing up, especially when his sister was little. As they grew and money got tighter, some years it was skipped, but Puck always remembered the whole thing fondly.

Christmas and Hanukkah had been the one time a year when Mae Puckerman had forced herself to rise above the normal drudgery of her life as a single parent and really try to make the season special. Some years she'd thrown a dinner party, others she'd simply spent one Saturday making cookies with Sarah, while Puck stole samples of every batch. He smiled at the memory. All of those childhood holidays had been special, but he'd never fully embraced the magic of the day until his senior year of high school….when he'd started dating Kurt Hummel.

Puck took another deep swig of his beer as the memory pierced him like a white hot blade. Even thinking Kurt's name these days still caused that ache to start up again. Everyday he went to work, and even sometimes out with friends at night. He did everything he was supposed to, clocked his hours at the station, did his patrols, even went on the obligatory date or two to keep up appearances. But inside he was dead, still quiet and numb. He'd long since stopped caring or even hoping that there was anything more out there for him than the mundane life he'd carved out for himself. The only time he managed to force himself to feel anything was the now and then opportunity he had to arrest a criminal who ran. He loved the thrill of the chase, it got his blood pumping again, and his heart to race. His heart that had been cold and still ….ever since _he_ had left.

Noah smirked a little too himself as he thought about the irony of his chosen profession. If you would have said to anyone in his high school, at the time, that Noah 'Puck' Puckerman would end up as a chief deputy on the Lima police force…Puck would have been the first one to laugh the rumor right off a cliff. In school he'd been a grade A jerk and it wasn't until he joined the Glee club that he managed to change, not entirely, but at least in some part. Junior year he'd spent time in juvenile hall, and that had been the beginning of his turn. After that harrowing experience Puck had realized that the only way he wanted to spend any of his life dealing with law enforcement, was if HE was the one doing the arresting. Senior year, when Kurt had been a part of his life, he'd looked into joining the police academy, and even managed to pull up his grades enough to be considered. That had been with Kurt's help of course, there would have been no way Puck would have ever passed French without the tutelage of a certain adorable brunette in tight jeans.

The image of Kurt as he'd been in high school sent another shot of pain over his cold limbs. Damn, most days Puck was successful in keeping the boy out of his mind. It had been years since it happened, but every once in awhile Puck's control slipped and he lost the tenuous hold he kept on his memories of that time. Christmas eve was always the one night of the year he had the most trouble….not remembering.

As the vision outside his window went completely dark, Puck grumbled a few curses at the cold and finally got up to light up a fire. After a few moments, the bright orange glow filled the dark room and Puck settled himself back on the sofa to drown his sorrows further into his beer. It wasn't that he wanted to get drunk, he'd been nursing that same beer for over an hour, it was more that the bitter taste kept him from sinking too far into his own melancholy.

Downstairs the party was in full swing and the music was turned up. Puck groaned as he swallowed the last of his bottle and set it on the coffee table. He leaned his head back against the cushions as he recognized the tune that was playing. Mariah Carey…God how many times had Kurt played that CD through the month of December? 100? 500? It had been on permanent replay in his car through the entire month. Puck squeezed his eyes shut as he recalled being trapped in the warm interior of Kurt's navigator as the brunette belted out the lyrics to each and every song, knowing the entire playlist by heart.

He could still see the pink stain in Kurt's pale cheeks from the cold, the twinkling blue eyes, that infectious smile….pain knifed deeper in his chest as the memory overtook him. He remembered waiting until Kurt finally found a parking spot at the mall that day, as soon as the smaller boy had turned off the engine Puck had grabbed him by that soft striped scarf he wore….dragged him across the seats for a makeout session that had left the windows steamed and them both out of breath. No one had ever compared the absolute perfection that was kissing Kurt Hummel.

Puck let out a broken sound, somewhere between a sob and a whimper. God he missed Kurt. The other boy had been gone several years, yet every Christmas eve it was as if it happened yesterday.

The lyrics sounded through the floor.

_Pretty lights on the tree  
(Christmas)  
I'm watching them shine  
(Christmas)  
You should be here with me  
(Christmas)  
Baby please come home_

Puck stared into the flames, trying not to break. It was nights like these that killed him. Sarah was off at college now, and this year she'd opted to go to her new boyfriends for Christmas, and though Puck missed her, he knew she would show up for New Years dinner with them.

_(Christmas)  
If there was a way  
(Christmas)  
I'd hold back this tear  
(Christmas)  
But it's Christmas day_

Puck swallowed over the lump that formed in his throat. Why did Christmas tear him up so much? He was Jewish for goodness sakes, shouldn't he be a little more ambivalent about this holiday? But deep down his soul argued with him, reminding him exactly what this holiday meant to him…simply because it had meant so much to Kurt Hummel. Puck sighed and stopped fighting, feeling the sadness burrow down deep into his chest, his eyes shimmering as he glared at the jumping flames.

_(Please)  
Please  
(Please)  
Please  
(Please)_

There was a quiet knock on his door. Puck didn't answer or move, assuming that it was a mistaken partygoer at the wrong apartment. He was too embarrassed to open the door in the state he was in anyhow. He prayed they'd just realize their mistake and go away.

_Baby please come home  
(Christmas)  
Baby please come home_

Bang! Bang! The knocking persisted, getting louder and louder by the minute.

_(Christmas)  
Baby please come home_

BANG! It sounded now like someone had kicked that damn door! Finally Puck scrubbed his eyes with his fist and jumped off the couch. Stupid moron was probably drunk and confused…he figured as he strode toward the door. He took a deep breath and swung it open.

"Noah."

Puck froze. Kurt Hummel stood at his door, his cheeks flushed, panting and out of breath.

_(Christmas)  
Baby please come home_

A million words he wanted to say all rushed forward to form a traffic jam in his throat as he stared at the sight before him. Puck's hand was still stuck on the doorknob as he stood unable to believe. Kurt had aged, even more beautifully than Puck had assumed. He was no longer the small skinny boy Puck had last seen. He was taller, still trim, but now more cut and polished. His clothes were immaculate, perfectly coordinated and matched, from the black tight jeans to the plaid coat he wore, even to the scarf wrapped around his elegant neck. His hair was combed into a modern classic cut that accented his perfect features which had taken on a more masculine, grown up edge. But those eyes….Puck found it hard to swallow…those blue eyes had not changed at all.

"Noah?" Kurt's voice was hesitant as their eyes met.

Puck wanted to put on an act. He didn't want the brunette to see just how much he'd missed him, how much he regretted letting him go, how much every moment that they'd been apart had torn him up inside, leaving jagged wounds that had never healed. But nothing would come out of his throat to maintain that illusion. And as Kurt stared into his face, searching….he knew that it was plain to see.

"You….you're here?" Puck finally managed to push out a question, aware that his voice broke on the words.

Kurt's face changed then, his blue eyes shining now, emotion on his face that was evident. Puck held his breath. In that second, everything fell away, the fight they'd had the summer after graduation, Kurt's flight, Pucks' refusal to follow out of stubborn pride, then later out of embarrassment. The years of being broken and alone, missing him. All of it fell away.

"I couldn't stay away any longer." Kurt whispered, a slight sigh in his voice as their eyes locked.

"You…..you…couldn't?" Puck stammered. Only then did he see the two large suitcases behind Kurt in the hall, and the small bag slung over his shoulder. His heart slammed against his ribs so hard that Puck was sure they were about to crack.

"No, I couldn't!" Kurt suddenly moved then, dropping his shoulder bag and hurling himself forward in a flurry of plaid and tears. Puck finally unfroze, catching the slender man against his chest, the force of it making him stagger backward. His lungs finally allowed him to suck in enough air to get a deep breath.

Puck felt as if he was finally thawing out as Kurt threw his arms around his neck, resting their foreheads together. The sweet smell of cinnamon on his breath made Puck's head spin and he suddenly had the sickening thought that this all might be a dream. But Kurt's long fingers tangling in his hair and the hot breath against his face said otherwise.

"Am I too late?" Kurt asked breathlessly.

Puck's control snapped then, his arms grabbing at the back of Kurt's jacket, his fists gripping the fabric so tightly his knuckles went white. Desire burned through his veins, sweet and hot, along with the feeling of finally being whole again.

"No, you're right on time." Puck crashed his lips against Kurt's soft ones, trying to pour years of longing and need into one kiss. He held Kurt against him so tightly that they could barely take a breath between them and it was only moments before he was ripping the layers off the other man, as they fell into a panting tangle on the sofa.

xmasxmasxmas

Some time later…..

Puck smiled as he nuzzled the soft skin at the back of Kurt's neck. He felt the twitch of the other man at the touch, heard the soft murmuring of Kurt waking from his slumber. Kurt turned on the bed, rolling over to snuggle himself against Puck's chest. The soft kisses against his skin and the sleepy mumbling warmed Puck to the core as he folded his arms around the love of his life who had finally returned to him.

"What made you come back?" Puck asked, tracing patterns against Kurt's skin with his fingers.

"I just couldn't keep it up anymore." Kurt's voice was sleepy, but serious.

"Keep what up?"

"Pretending like I didn't miss you…..pretending I was whole when half my heart was gone."

"But why now?" Puck pulled his lover tighter against him, relishing the soft skin under his hands.

Kurt leaned his head up to catch Puck's lips in loving kiss, one full of promise. His blue eyes were twinkling as he leaned back to stare into Puck's face for a moment.

"It's Christmas." Kurt kissed Noah deeply, purring deep in his chest with pleasure. "My heart wanted to come home."


End file.
